Sweet and savory memories

While in residence at my Russian Hill apartment, I regularly mosey on down to Cheese Plus at Polk and Pacific streets where I grab a fresh Acme Bakery mini-baguette as part of my ... Read More

Films

February film festival fever

By Michael Snyder

Say what you will about San Francisco these days, but the city is one of the truly classic settings for movie and television projects, and the local love of cinema is ongoing — ... Read More

Films

Ten movies that mattered in 2023

By Michael Snyder

Like the winds of winter and solstice celebrations, an annual best-of-the-year list from movie critics is inevitable as the calendar flips to January. So here’s a survey of my T... Read More

The pizelle Italian waffle cookies can initiate time travel for thoughtful eaters. Photo: GrammarFascist/Wikimedia Commons

Coastal Commuter

Sweet and savory memories

Our Coastal Commuter turns Coastal Connoisseur, aided by an unexpected pizzelles encounter

By Michael Snyder

On a recent Saturday, I departed my Russian Hill apartment and moseyed on down to Cheese Plus at Polk and Pacific, where I could grab a fresh Acme Bakery mini-baguette as part of ... Read More

Films

The indomitable boldness of Indy

By Michael Snyder

More than 40 years after the release of the initial Indiana Jones movie, 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, a fifth and presumably final installment in the beloved adventure series... Read More

Summer in San Francisco is a time of layering and keeping warm. JenDigitalArt/Unsplash

Coastal Commuter

Summer winds blow hot and cold

By Michael Snyder

The California summer conundrum is in effect on the coast — and on display in the two cities I call home. Only one of them seems to regularly embody the “hot town” o... Read More

Chris Briney and Suki Waterhouse in Daliland. Photo: courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Films

Hello, Dali — Farewell, Jean

By Michael Snyder

When the past — recent or distant — is recreated on screen, nostalgia could come into play for moviegoers who either lived through the time evoked or wished for the opportunit... Read More

DJ, record collector and archivist Curtis Lindersmith. Photo: Michael Snyder

Coastal Commuter

Dancing through time and space

By Michael Snyder

As much as I glory in the unique experience of a transcendent concert by accomplished musicians, there is also something special about hitting the right dance club when the disk j... Read More

Matthew Rhys in Season 2 of HBO's Perry Mason. Photograph by Merrick Morton/HBO

Television

Heroes reborn and revisited

By Michael Snyder

Even if we seek something fresh and different to entertain and edify us, there can be satisfaction in the familiar. And it’s not always indicative of creative laziness when ... Read More

A youthful visit to the City of Lights instilled in the author a life-long love of Paris. And berets. Photo: edmondlafoto/Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

Frankly Francophile

By Michael Snyder

I wear a beret . . . frequently. In addition to it being somewhat stylish (in a Euro/Boho way), it’s more than a vain affectation or silly gimmick for me. Years ago, I realized ... Read More

Chloe Coleman Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Pine, Justice Smith, and Sophia Lillis in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves from Paramount Pictures and eOne. Photo: © 2023 Paramount Pictures

Films

Of dungeons, dragons, and doctors

By Michael Snyder

When it comes to the all-important bottom line, a successful movie or television franchise is a golden goose. Studios and networks and cable channels and streaming services seek o... Read More

Emer Heatley and Matthew Macfadyen in Stonehouse. Photo: courtesy ITV

Television

When truth elevates drama

By Michael Snyder

As much as fiction can reveal about the human condition, the account of a true story — especially one inspired by an uncommon situation — can have deeper impact by virtue of v... Read More

San Francisco’s skyline greets first-time visitors to the city and longtime residents alike. Photo: tealyea/Pixabay

Coastal Commuter

First looks

By Michael Snyder

The first time I saw San Francisco was when I emerged from the Waldo Tunnel (now known as the Robin Williams Tunnel) going south on Route 101. It was a late afternoon in mid-Septe... Read More

Coastal Commuter

Loving animals in their unnatural habitat

By Michael Snyder

By now, the story of P-22 — the mountain lion also known as the Hollywood Cat — has spread far and wide, especially since his demise in mid-December. This cool cougar’s fame... Read More

Films

A commonwealth of great cinema

By Michael Snyder

With so much acclaim earned by so many movies and actors from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, India, South Africa, and New Zealand over the decades, it would be fair to sa... Read More

Michael Snyder

Sweet and savory memories

February film festival fever

Ten movies that mattered in 2023

Sweet and savory memories

The indomitable boldness of Indy

Summer winds blow hot and cold

Hello, Dali — Farewell, Jean

Dancing through time and space

Heroes reborn and revisited

Frankly Francophile

Of dungeons, dragons, and doctors

When truth elevates drama

First looks

Loving animals in their unnatural habitat

A commonwealth of great cinema

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